The disclosures herein relate in general to automated systems, and in particular to a method and system for determining proximity of an object.
An omnidirectional sensor (e.g., capacitive electrode) detects an object's proximity to the sensor, but without determining a direction of such proximity. If the object is physically restricted to approach the sensor from only a single direction, then the direction of such proximity may be less important for the sensor to detect. Conversely, if the object is unrestricted to approach the sensor from various directions, then the direction of such proximity may be more important for the sensor to detect.
Other solutions may be more expensive to implement and/or less reliable than capacitive electrodes. For example, optical solutions may be sensitive to changes in ambient light, in a manner that potentially exposes those solutions to a higher risk of false detection. Radio frequency solutions can operate at higher frequencies with antenna structures that may be sensitive to polarization.